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HARARE, Zimbabwe, April 29, 2011: Agro Innovation Zimbabwe (AIZ) is a tailored business plan competition targeting existing medium-sized Zimbabwean businesses with innovative ideas in agriculture/agri-business which engage and create jobs or opportunities for smaller farmers, especially through contract farming or outgrower models; and with the potential to influence wider industry development.

Capital prizes for the competition will be $25,000-$50,000 per business. AIZ anticipates awarding 5-10 prizes (a total prize pot of $250,000) and would like to award at least 1 prize in each of the following categories staples; high value crops (e.g. horticulture, coffee); livestock; food processing/value-added products.

AIZ has been made possible by generous support from Delta Corporation and Nduna Foundation. Delta is a broad-based company with interests in beverages (manufacturing and distribution) and the agro industrial sectors in Zimbabwe. Its activities in the agro industrial sector include: barley malting, food processing, manufacture and distribution of wines and spirits.

Nduna Foundation is a development organisation which provides innovative leadership and targeted support in critical and complex humanitarian crisis. The Foundation dedicates much of its resources to projects and initiatives in Africa working with select partners such as UNICEF, CDC Foundation, and TechnoServe. In addition, many other individuals and organizations have given their support to the competition, participating on the advisory panel, as judges and as supporters.

Deloitte Touche Toumahatsu and PricewaterhouseCoopers, two of the largest international accounting firms will carry out the preliminary judging process of the business plan competition. An independent panel of judges will also be established comprising a number of Zimbabwean experts in entrepreneurship, the financial, and agriculture sectors, who will be responsible for selecting winners in the final judging process.

Alongside the capital prizes, winners will also receive a tailored package of assistance to be delivered via local service providers and local/international consultants as appropriate. Assistance might include: small farmer business training; structuring contracts between business and farmers; developing and implementing quality assurance mechanisms; risk management approach; further capital raising assistance to expand model.

About TechnoServe

Technoserve Inc, is a private international development organization headquartered in Washington, DC, USA, with offices in eighteen countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. TechnoServe launched a new and exciting business plan competition supporting innovative ideas in agriculture for Zimbabwean businesses, called Agro Innovation Zimbabwe (AIZ) on the 29th of April 2011.

This is in line with the international development organization’s aim to help entrepreneurial men and women in the developing world build businesses that create income, opportunity and economic growth for their families, communities and countries. TechnoServe has held several similar national-level Business Plan Competitions, first in Latin America and recently in Africa and is thus introducing Agro Innovation Zimbabwe.

Contact TechnoServe Harare Office for more details.

7 Albany Road, Alexandra Park, Harare, ZimbabweTelephone (land) (04) 744 127, mobile 0712 754 598 or 0775 244 109 Or email
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; or
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Or visit the website http://www.aiz.co.zw/ for updates and downloading application forms

2011 Agro Initiative Zimbabwe (AIZ) Press Release

HARARE, Zimbabwe, April 29, 2011: Agro Initiative Zimbabwe (AIZ) is a tailored business plan competition targeting existing medium-sized Zimbabwean businesses with innovative ideas in agriculture/agri-business which engage and create jobs or opportunities for smaller farmers, especially through contract farming or outgrower models; and with the potential to influence wider industry development.

Capital prizes for the competition will be $25,000-$50,000 per business. AIZ anticipates awarding 5-10 prizes (a total prize pot of $250,000) and would like to award at least 1 prize in each of the following categories staples; high value crops (e.g. horticulture, coffee); livestock; food processing/value-added products.

AIZ has been made possible by generous support from Delta Corporation and Nduna Foundation. Delta is a broad-based company with interests in beverages (manufacturing and distribution) and the agro industrial sectors in Zimbabwe. Its activities in the agro industrial sector include: barley malting, food processing, manufacture and distribution of wines and spirits.

Nduna Foundation is a development organisation which provides innovative leadership and targeted support in critical and complex humanitarian crisis. The Foundation dedicates much of its resources to projects and initiatives in Africa working with select partners such as UNICEF, CDC Foundation, and TechnoServe. In addition, many other individuals and organizations have given their support to the competition, participating on the advisory panel, as judges and as supporters.

Deloitte Touche Toumahatsu and PricewaterhouseCoopers, two of the largest international accounting firms will carry out the preliminary judging process of the business plan competition. An independent panel of judges will also be established comprising a number of Zimbabwean experts in entrepreneurship, the financial, and agriculture sectors, who will be responsible for selecting winners in the final judging process.

Alongside the capital prizes, winners will also receive a tailored package of assistance to be delivered via local service providers and local/international consultants as appropriate. Assistance might include: small farmer business training; structuring contracts between business and farmers; developing and implementing quality assurance mechanisms; risk management approach; further capital raising assistance to expand model.

Contact TechnoServe Harare Office for more details.

12 Lomagundi Road, Mount Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweTelephone (land) (04) 339 945/307630, mobile 0772 158 323/4 Or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
; or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Or visit the website http://www.aiz.co.zw/ for updates and downloading application forms